Typewriting machine



Jan. 12 {1926;

J. A. B. SMIITH TYPEWRI TING MACHINE Filed Oct. 50, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet Aim/nay Jan. 2 1926. 1,569,587

J. A. B. sMTH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct. so, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed October 30, 1923.

To all ii /tom it may concur Bi it known that I, Jesse A. B. SMITH, a citi/zcn of the United States, residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and, useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to equipment on a type-vi riting machine for expediting the manipulation therein of workpieces, such for instance as bill-sheets. Such equipment involves not only a magazine or container from which blank statement or bill sheets may be successively passed to the platen; but also means for facilitating quick placement and fixing of the bills in typing position, and removal thereof from the machine; and preferably means whereby to employ a record-shcct upon which to make the entries, made upon the successive bill sheets, simultaneously with the typing on the latter. The invention, as to certain features thereof, also relates to fced-rolhreleasing means and to means for gaging the position of the work-pieces on the platen. A part of the control means for the feed-rolls is carried by the platen-frame, and other parts of such mechanism are mounted on the carriage, and do not partake of the case-shift movement of the platen-frame relative to the carriage. A. control member movably supported on the carriage is operably connected, with the feed rolls on the platen-frame, whereby the caseshift of the platen and its feed-rolls does not disturb the connecting mechanism to change the position of the feed-rolls; and. such control member mounted on the carriage imparts substantially the same shift to the feed-rolls in all positions of the platen re sulting fron'i its case-feed relative to the carriagc.

ilereto'l'orc, the magazine or container for the bill-sheets has been out of the body of the n'iachine, in a more or less inconvenient position; or, when in the machine, has been of a kind from which automatic feed of the lull-sheets therefron'i, to the platen, has been attempted.

A feature of the present invention is a mounting of the magazine, directly upon the platen-ea 'iagc; and whence, regardless of of the carriage, the bill-sheets Serial No. 671,631.

may be passed by hand, from the magazine, directly down the front of the platen to typing position.

A feature of the invention is a style and setting of magazine, such that the blank work-pieces therein offer themselves separately to the operators fingers; and such that, upon placement of a pack of workpieces therein, the latter are caused automatically to step themselves off one from the other so that only one at a time will present itself to the operators fingers.

A feature of the invention is the provision of means, preferably interposing itself in the path of movement of the operators fingers, whereby, upon insertion of the work-pieces, the same are gaged in correct position for commencement of typin A feature of the invention is the provision of means whereby, from the front of the platen, and from any desired position along the platen, the operator may release the feedrolls; thus obviating the necessity of movement of the operators hand to the end of the carriage, as heretofore. In this connection, a feature of the invention is a feedroll-releasing means operable in the sheetinserting movement of the operators hand, and by the hand which is inserting the sheet; so that, as the sheet is inserted, the feed rolls are thrown off the platen to provide free passage around the platen for the sheet so being inserted.

A feature of the invention is a method of using the sheet which has been typed, before removal of the same from the machine, as a means for guiding the next blank sheet into place, down around the platen, from the front thereof, between the platen and the usual paper-apron; and for using such inserted blank sheet as a means for protecting the carbon-sheet from the unremoved typed sheet, so that the latter, upon its removal, will not forwardly displace or crumple the carbon which overlies the recordsheet. In this connection, a feature of the invention is the use of a record,-sheet, held by paper-fingers against backward displacement on the platen, as a means for preventing backward displacement (by a statement-sheet on front insertion of the latter) of a carbon-sheet, overlying the record-sheet, not so held the paper-fingers.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in end elevation, partly err -sectionzil, of the carriage and associated parts of a typewriting machine embodying the present invention.

l igure 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the righthand end of the carriage, showing the feed,- rollreleasingr means and other parts in assoelation with the platen.

A platen 10, by means of an axle 11, is journaled in the e pieces 12 of the platenframe. This frame is shiftable up and down between case-positions ly any suitablemechanism, not shown. For supporting; the platen-frame and assisting in the shift of the la ter, pins 13 on the side of the platen-frame are set upon arms H at to a rock ziaft 15, upon which shaft is a spring, not she lending to lift the platen-frame. The caseshifting mechanism may be that shown in the standard Underwood typewriting machine.

The platen-frame is also provided with a paper-shelf 16-, which forms an extension of the usual rear paper-table 1'? and aproir extension 18, for guiding work-nieces down behind the pl n and arouno under the same to the pi" inn line at the front thereof. the usua frontand rear feed-rollers 19 and 20, respectively, are also provided. The front rolls 19 are on a shaft 21, seated on the arms of he -cr-.u;ik levers pivotally mounted ona shaft 93-, secured to the end plates of the p en e. The rear feed-rolls 520 are on aft seated on the 1., overs also pivotally mounted on the shaft 23. The hell-crank levers which comprise the arms 22 have other arms which depend to the rear of a shaft 27; and the hellcrank levers which cou'iprise the arms have other arms 28 which depend to the front of the shaft 27 heafsprin, 29, bearing upon the arms 22 and 25, tend to rock the arms upward to throw the fCQ(l1'OllS against the platen, and therefore tend to press the arms 26 and 28 against the shaft The shaft 2'? has flats Stlcut therein where the arms 26 and 28 en When the feed-rolls are in tion, the arms and QS hear c 30. ll hen, however, the El 1 is rotated, the arm '93 and 28 are forced apart to draw down the feed-rolls. 1e shaft 27 is fournulcd in the side plates 12 of the platen- The "teed-roll mechanism, described, is that found in the standard Underwood typewriting r achinc. For throwing off the feed-rolls, the following device is employed. Fast to the shaft 27 is an arm 31, whicn connected at one end P} a link 32; the other end of the the link 32 being connected to a bell-crank lever on-astub-shaft 34c, mounted in the righthand side plate of the platen-frame. Gne arm 35 of this bell-crank lever connects with a link 36, which. extends forward and connects at 37 to one arm. 38 of a bell-crank lever fixed to a rock-shaft S9. The rockshaft 39, at its right-hand end, has bearing in a bracket 40 secured to the right-hand side piece ll of the carriage. The left-hand end of the rock-shaft 39 journaled in a bracket 42, which extends forward and is connected to the front rail 43 of the carriage. The bell-crank lever, of which the arm 38 forms a part, also has a forwardly-ezitendin arm ll which supports the right-hand end or a bar as. The left-hand end of this bar t; is supported by an arm t6, also made fast to the rock-shaft 39. Pressure on bar 15, as by the palm, at any point of the bar, results in movement of the bar from the dotted line Figure 1 position to the full-line Figure 1 position, thereby causing; the link 3-8 to be drawn forward, bell-crank arm 35 to be rocked counterclockwise, and the link to be drawn up to release the feed-rolls. it; lip 47, offset from the lower edge of the har-supportine arm a l, by engagement with the carriage side piece 1-1, determines the downward movement, and roll-releasingposition, of the bar 45.

It will be noted that the link 36, which connects that part of the feedroll-releasing mechanism which is on the shiftable platenframe to that part of the feed-roll-releasing mechanism which is on the carriage, is slightly inclined downward and rearward when the shift-frame is in lower-case position. When the shift-frame is in uppercase position, this link 36 is inclined slightly imward and rearward; the true medial position of the link BGbeing' a horizontal position halfway between its case-positions. By this means, provision is made for the same roll-releasing action of the parts whatever the case-position of the shift-frame. It will be understood that the carriage has move ment, inthe usual manner, in letter-feed and return directions, on the main frame 18 of the machine. At its rear, the carriage rides upon a rail 49 on the main frame, and, at its front, the carriage is provided with a roll 50, which travels on a runway 51 on the main frame.

In the drawings, a record-sheet 52, faced by carbon-sheet 53, is shown as having been fed down the table 16 and around the platen, and as having the typed portion thereof extending rearward over the top of the platen. The carbon-sheet is shown as having its leading end turned, at 5 1, over the leading end of the record-sheet, so that the two sheets may. be fed into the machine and around the platen as a unit, without slipping of one on the other. The recordsheet, as hereinafter explained, is to receive the entries made successively upon a series of individual statements; and, in order that the record-sheet may be held in place upon the platen while the feed-rolls are released for the insertion and removal. of the individual statements, a pair of clips are provided. These clips are shown as consisting; of spring-lingers 55, carrying rollers 56, which are adapted to bear upon the recordsheet on the platen.

The spring-lingers are secured to U shaped pieces 57, supported on a shaft 58. The shaft 58, in turn, is supported by similar U-shaped pieces 59, secured to blocks on the side plates 61 of a frame which is set upon and detachably secured to the flanges 65.2 on the side pieces 12 of the platen-frame. The shaft 58 is revoluble in the brackets 59, but is held against accidental rotation by means of rollers 63 on the brackets 59, which set into a slot 6% extending longitudinally the full length of the shaft 58. Leaf-springs 65 on the brackets 59 hold the rolls 63 in the slot 64., but yield to permit the rolls 63 to cam themselves out of the slot 64-, for retation of the shaft 58 when desired. The U-picccs or brackets 57, which support the pa nni-clips 55, are held against angular displacement on the shaft 58 by means of rolls (so, similar to the rolls 63, and which are held in the slot fil: by leaf-springs 67, similar to the springs (35. lVhen pressure is applied to the clips 55 to throw the same up to release the record-sheet, the springs 67 yield to pcrn'iit the rolls 66 to release themselves from the slot (ilin the shaft 58. The detachulilc frame which supports the shaft 55% is secured to the pl atcn-fran'ie by thumb-screws s which pass through the blocks (ill and e pieces (ll of the detachal'ile frame, and

which screw into the flanges 62 on the side pieces 19 of the platen-frame.

The shaft 58 also serves as a support for the container or magazine 70 for the blank statement-shects or bill-heads 71. This containcr (see Figure has a rear wall 72, a front wall 73, and side walls 7st. The front wall i3, toward the base thereof, is tapered downward and rearward, at 75, to the rear wall 72, so that the statenicnt-sheets 71, from rear to front. protrude each slightly above the sheet next rearward of the same; thereby enabling the operator. with his lingers, always to seize one sheet, and not more. at a time.

For supporting the magazine 'Zll on the shaft 58, there is riveted to the rear wall of the magazine a pair of brackets 76. 'lhese brackets, below the lower edge of the magazine, are offset, at 77, rearward-for attachment each to a U-shaped bracket 78, similar to the brackets 57 and 59. These brackets 78 are connected to the shaft 58 by rollers 79, set in the slot Gal in the shaft,

and held therein by springs 80, in the same manner as the rollers 63 and 66. Although this form of attachment of the container to the shaft 553 permits angular movement of the container, if desired, the prime purpose zine is )laceable and de'achable as a unit with the frame which carries the shaft 5t: and paper-clips 55; so that, when this detachable frame is not present on the machine, the machine may be used in the ordinary way without unnecessary incumbrances.

In operation, the record-sheet and car bon 58 are fed around the platen to typing; position. when the feed-rolls 19 and 20 are in effective position, by means of the usual hand-whecls 81 on the platen-axle 11, or by means of the usual line-space mechanism, of which only a ratchehwheel 82 on the platen axle is shown. The paper-linger rollers 56. if not previously applied, are then applied to the recordshect. The operator then re moves the front statement-sheet from the magazine '20 and passes the same down in front of the platen, in front of the carbonshect. its the operatoids hand moves downward, the operators palm strikes the bar 45 at some point thereof, and throws off the feed-rolls, permitting the lower edge of the statcn'icnt-sluwt to he passed around the platen between the latter and the apron 1.8.

The correct position for typing on the first line on the statcu'ient-shcet is determined hy registration of the upper edge of the statement-sheet with the upper edge of a gage-bar 83. This bar 83 is secured at its ends to arms or brackets 84-, in turn. secured to tl-shapcd pieces or brackets 85, similar to the brackets and 7S, and similarly connected to the shaft 58 by means of rollers 86. held by leaf-springs 87 in the slot (34 in the shaft. The left-hand bracket 84. also carries a SltlOflTlillQlllfil gage for the statement'sheet. This gage is shown as comprising a plate 89, having a flange offset therefrom, against which flange the lefthand margins of the statement-sheets may he set. To permit of adjustment of the marginal page, the same is slotted, at 9.1., lone itndinally of the plate 89; and screws 92, which secure the gage-plate 89 to the bracket 84:, pass through the slot 91. lVhen the screws are tightened, the marginal gage is held in adjusted position.

Upon registration of the upper edge of the statement-sheet with the upper edge of the gage-bar 83, the operators hand is lifted to release the bar 45 and to permit the springs 29 to throw the pressure-rolls to position for holding the statement-sheet. If typing at the first position on the statementsheet is not desired, and typing is desired at some other position on the statementsheet, the usual wing-scales, not shown, may be used, instead of the gage-bar 83, as the means for gaging the position of the statement-sheet. The statement-sheet may be held up against the platen, above the printing line, by means of the usual movable paper-holding finger or guard, which is not shown, but which is pivotally connected to the front rail of the carriage, and is found in standard Underwood typewriting machines.

After typing on a statementsheet is completed, the carriage is thrown rightward for commencement of writing on another statement-sheet. The lever by which the carriage is thus returned, ordinarily effects a single line-space movement of the platen by mechanism not here shown. This results in a linespace movement of the record-sheet 52 and carbon 53 so as to prepare the same for receiving the entries to be made upon the next succeeding statement-sheet. The paper finger or guard, last mentioned, is thereupon thrown out, and the statementsheet, which has been typed, pulled forward as indicated in Figure 1. Thereupon, the operator removesfrom the magazine the front statement-sheet therein, and passes the same down between the platen and the statementsheet last typed. In so doing, the operators hand depresses the bar 4:5 to release the feed.- rolls, so that the statement-sheet, then being introduced, may be passed around the platen between the feed-rolls and the platen. In this operation, the previously-typed statement-sheet serves to guide the next statement-sheet around the platen between the front edge of the apron 18 and the platen. \Vhile the newly-inserted statement-sheet is held with its upper edge aligned with the upper edge of the gage-bar 83, the operator, with his other hand, then removes the previously-typed statementshect. This done, the operator removes his hand from the bar s5 and from the newlyinserted statement-sheet. All is now ready for typing on the statement-sheet then in the machine.

It will be noted upon reference to Figure 2 that the paper-linger rolls do not bear upon the carbon-sheet; they bear upon the record-sheet outside of the side boundaries of the carbon-sheet. For holding the carbon-sheet against forward displacement or erumpling during the removal of a typed statement, paper-fingers are not necessary in the present case; because, as hereinbefore stated, the fresh statement-sheet is inserted between theplaten. an d. the typed statementsheet before the latter is removed. The fresh statement-sheet, therefore, prevents frictional engagement of the typed statement-shcet with the carbon-sheet as the typed statement-sheet is pulled out. On removal of the typed statement-sheet, the same therefore slides over the outer face of the inserted fresh statement-sheet, without dragging on the carbon. The carbon-sheet is also held against backward displacement around the platen, without direct application of any paper-fingers thereto. This is because the paper-finger rolls bear upon the record-sheet to hold the latter against backward displacement; and the leading end of the carbon-sheet being looped over the leading end of the r cord-sheet, the record-sheet holds the carbon-sheet against backward displacement. The stateinent-sheet upon being inserted, therefore, instead of disturbing the carbon-sheet, only tends to-smooth the same out on the platen.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-frame, a carriage for the platen frame having side'pieces and a. frontcrosspiece, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, and means to release the feed-rolls, comprising a bar extending lengthwise of the carriage, arms for supporting the bar, a shaft for pivotally supporting the arms, and bearing pieces for the shaft, one on one of the carriage side pieces and one on the carriage front piece.

ltn a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-carriage, a frame for the platen set upon the platen-carriage, means for shifting the platen-frame between case-positions on the carriage, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, means for releasing the feed rolls, comprising a bar on the carriage ere tending lengtlnvise of the carriage, a lever on the 1)l 1t611f1t11l1@, and alink connecting the bar on the carriage with the lever on the platen-frame.

3. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-carriage, aframe for the platen set upon the platen-carriage, means for shifting the platen-frame between case-positions on the carriage, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, means for releasing the feed rolls, comprising a bar on the carriage extending lengthwise of the carriage, a bellcrank lever supporting the bar on the car riage, a lever on the platen-frame, and a link connecting the bell-crank on the carriage with the lever on the platen-frame.

t. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-carriage, a frame for the platen set upon the platen-carriage, means for shifting the platen-frame between case-positions on the carriage, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, means for releasing the feedrolls, comprising a bar on the carriage extending lengthwise of the carriage, a lever on the carriage connected to the bar, a lever on the shiftable platen-frame, and a link extending substantially horizontally rearvi'ard and connecting the lever on the carriage with the lever on the platen-frame.

5. la a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-carriage, a frame for the platen set upon the platen-carriage, means for shifting the platen-frame between case-positions on the carriage, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, means for releasing the feed-rolls, comprising a bar on the carriage extending lei'igthwise of the carriage, a lever on the carriage connected to the bar, a lever on the shiftable plateirframe, and a link extending substantially horizontally rearward and connecting the lever on the carriage with the lever on the platen-frame, said link, in the lower-casesetting of the platen-frame, being inclined rearward and slightly downward, and, in the upper-case-position of the platemframe, being inclined rearward and slightly upward.

6. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-carriage, a frame for the platen set upon the platen-carriage, means for shifting the platen-frame between case-positions on the carriage, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, means for releasing the feed-rolls, comprising a bar on the carriage extending lengthwise of the carriage, a lever on the carriage connected to the bar, a lever on the shiftable platen-fran'ie, and a link extending suljistantially horizontally rearward and connecting the lever on the carriage with the lever on the platen-frame, said link, in the lower-case-setting of the platen-frame, being inclined rearward and slightly downward, and, in the upper-case-position of the platen-frame, being inclined rearward and slightly upward, the horizontal position of the link being midway between upper and lower case-positions, so as to effect the same feed-rollreleasing movement in both casepositions,

7. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a carriage for the platen, a gage on the carriage, comprising a bar extending lengthwise thereof above the platen, for positioning worksheets by their upper edges with respect to the platen, feed-rolls to co-operate with the platen, and feed-roll-releasing means comprising a bar on the carriage, 6X- tending lengthwise of the carriage, in position to be actuated by the hand of the operator, while the operator with the same hand gages the work-sheets.

8. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a platen-frame, a carriage, a magazine for work-sheets disposed above the platen, a gage for positioning the work-sheets, by

their upper edges, relatively to the platen,- on front insertion of the same, mounted upon the carriage, a feed-roll for the platen, and a feed-roll-release bar supported on the arriage below said gage in position to be reached by the oi'veratofis hand while adjusting a work-sheet to said gage by the same hand.

S). in a typewriter having a carriage and a frame carrying a revoluble platen, which frame is shiftable for caseposition feed of the carriage, feedrolls on the platen-frame norn'lally pressed against the platen, and means for shifting the feed-rolls including mecl'lanism having a control men'iber mounted on the carriage and which control l'lltilillDOl will effect substantially the same shifting movement of the rolls in all positions of the platen caused by its case feed.

10. In a typewriter having carriage and a frame carrying a revoluble platen, which frame is shiftable for case-position feed of the carriage, feed-rolls on the platen-frame normally pressed against the platen, and means for shifting the feed-rolls comprising a lever having a pivot fast on the platen frame, means for shifting the feed-rolls from said lever, a control lever pivoted on the carriage, and a link connecting said two levers, which said parts are relatively arranged whereby swinging the control lever will cause a thrust movement of the link and rock said other lover to shift the feed-rolls in all of the case-feed positions of the platen.

11. In a typewriter having a carriage and a frame carrying a revolnble platen, which frame is shiftable for case-position feed of the carriage, feed-rolls on the platen-frame normally pressed against the platen, and means for shifting the feed-rolls comprising a lever having a pivot fast on the platenframe, means for shifting the feed-rolls fromsaid lever, a control lever pivoted on the carriage, and a link connecting said two levers, which said parts are relatively ar ranged whereby swinging the control lever will cause a thrust movement of the link and rock said other lever to shift the feed-rolls in all of the case-feed positions of the platen, while said case feed shifts of the platenframe and its said lever will rock the link without producing end thrust or shift of the feed-rolls.

12. In a typewriter having carriage and a frame carrying a revoluble platen, which frame is shiftable for case-position feed of the carriage, feed-rolls on the platen-frame normally pressed against the platen, and means for shifting the feed-rolls including mechanism having a control member mounted on the carriage and which control member will effect substantially the same shifting movement of the rolls in all positions of the platen caused by its case-feed, and a bar on said control lever extending parallel With the platen to shift the feed-rolls on depression of said bar at any point throughout its length.

18. In a typewriter having a carriageand a frame carrying a revoluble platen, Which frame is shittable for case-position feed of the carriage, feed-rolls on the platen-frame normally pressed against the platen, and means for shifting the feed-rolls including mechanism having a control member mounted on the carriage and Which control member Will effect substantially the same shifting-movement of the rolls in all positions of the platen caused by its case-feed, and a bar on said control lever extending parallel with the platen to shift the feed-rolls on depression of said bar at any point throughout the length of the bar, said bar being placed a considerable distance in front of the platen for engagement by the palm of the operator at the same time that the fingers manipulate the Work-s'heet adjacent the platen, While the hand causes the bar to retain the vfeed-rolls in free position to admit the worksheet.

JESSE A. B. SMITH. 

